Absinth Wormwood Control

Question: How can absinth wormwood be controlled in a newer alfalfa/grass pasture or CRP planting that he planted last year, but doesn’t want to kill the alfalfa. In looking through the alfalfa herbicides in the weed guide on pages 48-49 I see several herbicides recommended, such as Pursuit, Raptor, and 2,4 DB amine. They all indicate no wormwood control. Of the wormwood herbicides on page 65, how bad would Chaparral, Milestone or Tordon hurt the alfalfa?

Answer: The herbicides listed on page 65 under Absinth wormwood will kill alfalfa. One option would be to spot spray with a hand-held one nozzle gun. Milestone would be a good option to control the absinth wormwood through spot spray application, but the alfalfa would also be injured if any spray landed on non-target plants. If the area is too large, then mowing (i.e. harvest if allowed) will help reduce the wormwood infestations.

Rod Lym

NDSU Weed Science, Noxious and Invasive Weeds